The US Senate has approved a bill that requires ByteDance, the China-based parent company of TikTok, to sell the popular social media platform within nine months with a possible three-month extension, or face a ban. The bill is part of a $95 billion package providing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. TikTok's 170 million US users and content creators may be impacted, and China is likely to oppose the forced sale. Concerns over Chinese data access have fueled the move, despite TikTok's assurances of non-cooperation in data sharing.
US lawmakers are set to vote on a bill that would compel ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to sell its US operations due to concerns about data security. TikTok, immensely popular in the US with 170 million American users, especially among teenagers, has become a diplomatic issue between Washington and Beijing. The bill presents ByteDance with the choice to either sell the app or risk being banned, with potential challenges such as free speech violations and Beijing's opposition to a sale. ByteDance, while claiming not to be a Chinese firm, faces uncertainty regarding the future of its successful app.
US Congress is moving quickly to pass a bill that would require TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest its ownership stake, potentially affecting the app's 170 million American users. The bill, included in a foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel, aims to address concerns about data privacy and national security related to TikTok's Chinese ownership. TikTok has opposed the bill, warning that it could lead to a ban in the US and plans to challenge it legally. Chinese Embassy officials have lobbied against the legislation, asserting that all Chinese companies should be treated fairly.
The US Congress is fast-tracking legislation that could force TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or face a nationwide ban. The House has already passed the measure, giving ByteDance a year to divest, with the Senate expected to approve it on Tuesday. President Biden is likely to sign the bill, making it the first time Congress has aimed to shut down a social media platform. Lawmakers cite national security risks, fearing data requests from Chinese government officials and potential disinformation efforts. Critics suggest TikTok is unfairly caught in US-China tensions.
The US House has passed a bill that could lead to banning TikTok within 12 months, requiring ByteDance to sell the platform in 9 months or face a ban. The revised legislation includes aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to gain bipartisan Senate support. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate. Concerns about TikTok being used for Chinese propaganda or misinformation are driving the ban effort, despite the President's current use of the platform. Representative Michael McCaul likened TikTok to a spy tool on American phones.
A bill passed by the US House in a bipartisan vote aims to ban TikTok in the US if it does not divest from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. President Joe Biden is likely to sign the legislation that is part of a broader aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Both Republicans and Democrats claim TikTok poses national security risks, contending that China could exploit the app to spy on Americans. Civil liberties groups have raised free speech concerns. The Senate will now review the bill, which gives ByteDance nine months to divest from TikTok.
House Republicans are pushing to include a bill in a foreign aid package that could result in a nationwide TikTok ban to protect Americans' data from Chinese government, facing opposition from TikTok and civil society groups, and aiming to expedite the Senate's vote. The bill, with updates like a nine-month deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok, allows a 90-day extension for progress towards a sale, addressing concerns about the initial six-month timeframe.
A former TikTok employee, Evan Turner, revealed that the company tried to conceal the role of Chinese owner ByteDance by assigning him to a manager in Seattle instead of a Beijing-based executive, contradicting TikTok's claims of independence. TikTok faces potential ban unless sold to non-Chinese owners as US lawmakers express concerns over national security risks.
President Biden raised TikTok concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell highlighted the security threat posed by the app in American homes, urging urgent Congressional action. Legislation to force the sale of TikTok to a non-Chinese entity passed the House with a strong bipartisan majority. However, the Senate referred the bill for markup rather than expedited passage, raising uncertainty over its timeline. McConnell, along with other senators, advocates for swift action on the bill, echoing security concerns over TikTok's Chinese ownership.
Vinod Khosla, an investor in OpenAI, advocates for forcing the sale of TikTok by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to non-Chinese owners to prevent potential manipulation of US citizens by the Chinese Communist Party. He compares TikTok to a "programmable fentanyl" controlled by the CCP and urges treating it as a national defense concern. A Pew Research Center survey shows 60% of Americans consider TikTok a national security threat, with concerns about Chinese propaganda influencing US elections through the platform.
The U.S. government is considering banning TikTok due to national security concerns over its China-based parent company ByteDance. Model Emily Ratajkowski argues that TikTok's ban is due to fear of its influence on progressive politics and activism. Critics fear CCP control and data collection. Despite concerns, TikTok provides space for alternative thinking and activism. The ban could impact businesses and individuals who have built a presence on the platform. Moral panic around TikTok has risen, especially related to content on the conflict in Gaza. The debate reflects broader issues of freedom of information and government control.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is probing TikTok for alleged Children's Online Privacy Protection rule violations and deceptive practices, with a potential lawsuit or settlement expected soon. TikTok faces threats of a US ban or forced divestment due to concerns over data security. The FTC investigation also focuses on TikTok's denial of user data access by individuals in China. Lawmakers are pressuring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or risk a ban. The FTC's multiyear investigation may result in penalties for privacy and security practices, including handling children's data and misleading users. TikTok denies data access allegations and faces pressure to secure its future in the US market.
The House has passed a bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner does not sell its stake within a year, citing concerns over spreading misinformation, hate speech, and potential national security threats. Comedian Zach Sage Fox, with 1.1 million followers, supports the ban due to disturbing content and misinformation, particularly related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. TikTok has 170 million users in the U.S., with critics alleging it allows Beijing to spy on users. The bill, with bipartisan support, now goes to the Senate for a vote next week.
Following the House passing a bill that could ban TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell its stake, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis received around 1,000 threatening calls from users, prompting him to involve the police. TikTok has been urging its young users to contact their representatives to prevent the ban, highlighting the platform's influence on youth. The tech industry, including TikTok's extensive lobbying efforts, is pushing back against new legislation, a battle they typically win as Congress has historically failed to pass tech-related bills.
In the United States, social media service TikTok has faced many bans and attempted bans due to national security concerns and its ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. As of June 2023, federal employees and state employees in 34 (out of 50) states are prohibited from using the app on government devices. In May 2023, Montana became the first state to ban TikTok on all personal devices, though this is being challenged in court.
European officials are warning TikTok about potential fines and a suspension of features in the new TikTok Lite app, which rewards users with cash and is alleged to contain addictive elements. The European Union's concerns focus on risks to users' mental health and the potential for addiction, specifically in Spain and France where TikTok Lite has been released. This move follows a similar inquiry in the US, where legislation was passed to possibly ban TikTok over national security worries. The EU's actions demonstrate the enforcement of regulations under the Digital Services Act.
A new poll by market research firm Savanta reveals that only about 28% of Americans support banning TikTok. The US Senate is yet to decide on the TikTok ban bill passed by the House, which would require ByteDance to divest from the app. Despite concerns over data protection and harmful content, 60% of TikTok users believe they could bypass a ban. Many Americans would turn to alternative social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram if TikTok becomes inaccessible.
As US lawmakers debate banning TikTok, ByteDance pays influencers to promote Lemon8, aiming to create an alternative social platform. Described as a mix of Pinterest and Instagram, Lemon8 features categories like fashion, food, beauty, and travel. Launched in Japan in 2020 and subsequently in countries including Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the US in February 2023 with over 4.25 million active users. ByteDance's efforts to popularize Lemon8 come amidst the threat of a TikTok ban due to national security concerns and ByteDance's status as a Chinese company.
Multiple governmental agencies and private businesses have imposed or attempted to impose temporary or indefinite bans on the social media service TikTok due to concerns from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, national security, China's ownership and influence, pornography, human trafficking, children's safety, antisemitism, addictiveness, terrorism and toxic content.
There is evidence that TikTok has down-weighted the posts of topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. Topics alleged to have been censored by the platform include the Uyghur genocide, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, the Sino-Indian border dispute, foreign political leaders, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, and Black people. TikTok has also removed or omitted information from its services to comply with company policies, legal demands, and government censorship laws. TikTok's responses to claims of censorship have varied, responding that the platform was attempting to protect users from bullying, arguing that certain instances were the result of human error, and stating that such incidents were the result of algorithmic mistakes.
Former President Trump is criticizing President Biden for a potential TikTok ban moving through Congress, despite Trump's own past efforts to ban the app. Trump accused Biden of aiding Facebook's power and election meddling against Republicans. The House passed a bill urging TikTok's China-based parent company to sell within a year or face a national ban. Biden supported the bill, aiming for an American-owned TikTok to safeguard personal data. Trump's reversal on TikTok, his ties to a GOP donor invested in TikTok, and his shifting stance on the app have raised questions.
TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin (Chinese: 抖音; pinyin: Dǒuyīn: Shaking sound), is a short-form video hosting service owned by ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 3 seconds to 10 minutes.Since their launches, TikTok and Douyin have gained global popularity. In October 2020, TikTok surpassed 2 billion mobile downloads worldwide. Cloudflare ranked TikTok the most popular website of 2021, surpassing Google. TikTok's popularity has resulted in the platform having an increasing cultural impact worldwide.The app's privacy practices have come under increased criticism and scrutiny. Countries have also restricted, banned, or attempted to ban the use of TikTok over national security concerns that data could be collected by the Chinese government.
ByteDance Ltd. (Chinese: 字节跳动; pinyin: Zìjié Tiàodòng) is a Chinese internet technology company headquartered in Beijing and incorporated in the Cayman Islands.Founded by Zhang Yiming, Liang Rubo and a team of others in 2012, ByteDance developed the video-sharing social networking services and apps TikTok and Chinese-specific counterpart Douyin. The company is also the developer of the news platform Toutiao. As of June 2021, ByteDance hosts 1.9 billion monthly active users across all of its platforms.ByteDance has attracted legislative and media attention in several countries over security, surveillance, and censorship concerns.
After the tragic suicide of a 16-year-old boy named Mason, his mother discovered that he had liked numerous graphic videos about breakups, depression, and suicide on TikTok. These videos included ones that specifically promoted the method he had used. A lawsuit involving eight parents alleges that TikTok targeted their children with harmful content, leading to their deaths. This legal action is part of a broader movement asserting that social media platforms like TikTok are addictive and dangerous, potentially providing a pathway for justice for those impacted by the platform's negative influences.
The US House of Representatives passed a bill to potentially ban TikTok in the country or force ByteDance to sell it, with an extended divestment period. Tesla has reduced prices for its Model Y, Model X, and Model S in the US, with the base models now starting at lower prices. Data scientist analyses the best character for Mario Kart.
Zhang Yiming (Chinese: 张一鸣; born April 1, 1983) is a Chinese internet entrepreneur. He founded ByteDance in 2012, developed the news aggregator Toutiao and the video sharing platform TikTok (Douyin/抖音), formerly known as Musical.ly. As of October 2022, Zhang's personal wealth was estimated at US$55 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index (US$49.5 billion, according to Forbes), making him the second-richest person in China, after Zhong Shanshan. On November 4, 2021, Zhang stepped down as CEO of ByteDance, completing a leadership handover announced in May 2021.
The European Commission is considering suspending TikTok's Lite rewards program, which pays users to use the app, over concerns of being 'toxic and addictive', especially for children. TikTok has until Wednesday to defend the program. European Commissioner Thierry Breton highlighted the risks to users' mental health, stating that the platform failed to submit a required risk assessment. The program, available in France and Spain, allows users to earn small amounts daily for app engagement. TikTok insists the rewards are for users over 18, but the Commission questions the effectiveness of age verification.
TikTok has updated its Community Guidelines to make entire accounts temporarily ineligible for its For You feed if they repeatedly post about topics such as extreme fitness, conspiracy theories, sexually suggestive material, and others deemed unsuitable. The platform aims to prevent certain content patterns, like repetitive dieting or extreme fitness, and will penalize creators by restricting their accounts from recommendations and search visibility. These changes, effective from May 17th, target content that doesn't violate guidelines but may be unsuitable for a wider audience. TikTok's actions come amidst scrutiny for promoting harmful content, especially to young users.
TikTok is creating a photo-sharing app, likely named TikTok Notes, to directly compete with Instagram. Users have noticed pop-up notifications suggesting they post photos on the upcoming app, with the option to not share them. References to the app, initially named "TikTok Photos," were found in TikTok's code. The company aims to solidify its presence in the photo-sharing space to maintain relevance among U.S. users.
TikTok has rolled out 'Notes' in Australia and Canada, a separate photo sharing app where users can share pictures with written captions, reminiscent of Instagram. Users can link their TikTok accounts to Notes. The app has a central feed similar to Pinterest, offering a platform for photo and text content. It remains unclear if it will expand to the US. TikTok's move into the photo sharing space comes amidst uncertainty about its future in the US. Meta's success in copying features from competitors, like Instagram with Reels, raises questions about TikTok's potential success with 'Notes'.
TikTok Dabloons or TikTok Doubloons are a fictional currency and internet trend on TikTok which started circulating around the social platform in November 2022. The "currency" circulates around the app using photo slideshows containing a cat offering it to the user, as well as cat "merchants" selling fictional food, housing, clothing, etc., which can be bought using the currency using an "honor system" making the users track their net worth through various methods such as writing on a whiteboard, notebooks, and spreadsheets. It also has its own fictional economy which has "dabloon" counterparts of the IRS and government to control "dabloon inflation".
Libs of TikTok is a handle for various far-right and anti-LGBT social-media accounts operated by Chaya Raichik ( KHAH-yə RY-chik), a former real estate agent. Raichik uses the accounts to repost content created by left-wing and LGBT people on TikTok, and on other social-media platforms, often with hostile, mocking, or derogatory commentary. The accounts promote hate speech and transphobia, and spread false claims, especially relating to medical care of transgender children. The X (formerly Twitter) account, also known by the handle @LibsofTikTok, has nearly 3 million followers as of February 2024 and has become influential among American conservatives and the political right. Libs of TikTok's social-media accounts have received several temporary suspensions and a permanent suspension from TikTok.Some Libs of TikTok posts have resulted in harassment against teachers, medical providers, children's hospitals, libraries, LGBT venues, and educational facilities, several of which having received bomb threats after being featured on a post. Libs of TikTok posts regularly slur LGBT people, as well as those who provide mental-health services to LGBT youth and LGBT sex education to students, as "groomers". Its followers "routinely attack individuals whose content is shared", and several dozen incidents of online or real-life threats and harassment against a range of targets, including 21 bomb threats, have been linked to Libs of TikTok's tweets, especially those where Raichik singles out specific events, locations or people.Raichik created the Twitter account in November 2020, and, after adopting a series of different handles, she changed its name to @LibsofTikTok in April 2021. Later that year, the account began receiving media attention, including from conservative commentators and news outlets. Raichik remained anonymous until her identity was revealed in April 2022 by, separately, software developer Travis Brown and The Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz. In August 2022, Libs of TikTok received substantial media attention after falsely claiming that gender-affirming hysterectomies were being provided to minors at the Boston Children's Hospital and at the Children's National Hospital. This resulted in harassment campaigns, including bomb threats, against both hospitals. Libs of TikTok's videos have also been promoted by Russian and European disinformation networks, particularly a Kremlin-backed anti-LGBTQ disinformation campaign.
TikTok has partnered with AXS to sell concert tickets, allowing users to discover and buy tickets for live events. This collaboration targets users in the US, UK, Sweden, and Australia. Certified Artists can also promote their own AXS live shows through this feature. The partnership aims to provide seamless access to tickets for iconic venues, festivals, and tours. This move follows TikTok's previous partnership with Ticketmaster, expanding the app's outreach to music artists.
Two tribal nations have filed a lawsuit on April 9, 2024, against Facebook's Meta Platforms, Snap's Snap Inc, TikTok's ByteDance, and Alphabet (owner of YouTube and Google) for their alleged role in the disproportionately high rates of suicide among Native American youth.
(Bloomberg) Shares of Tencent Holdings Ltd. have surged more than 10% this month, outperforming the Magnificent Seven and underscoring global investors growing appetite for Chinas undervalued megacaps. Most Read from Bloomberg Taylor Swift Is Proof That How We Critique Music Is Broken Bidens New Chopper Is Demoted After Scorching White House Lawn Tech Giants Roar as Tesla Spikes in Late Hours: Markets Wrap Billionaire Pinaults Fight to Pull Gucci Off the Discount Rack Ray Dalios Famous Trade Is Sputtering, Investors Bailing The stocks most recent bump came from an earlier-than-expected debut for a blockbuster title, as the Chinese game sector looks to break out of a long malaise. In contrast, US tech giants have slipped on reduced expectations for profit growth as they attempt to deliver on the promise of artificial intelligence. Tencent should return to sequential profit growth in the current quarter on strength in games and short videos, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Robert Lea and Jasmine Lyu.
TikTok, with over 170 million users in the US, will ban before-and-after photos for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro in May. The app aims to restrict harmful weight management content and not allow minors to view such posts. Influencers face limitations on promoting rapid weight loss methods. Those affected plan to shift content to platforms like Instagram and Clapper. The popularity of these drugs, like Mounjaro and Ozempic, has led to significant sales for companies including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
This list contains the top 50 accounts by number of followers on the Chinese social media platform TikTok, which was merged with musical.ly in 2018. As of 21 February 2024 the most-followed individual on the platform is Khaby Lame, with over 161.5 million followers. He surpassed the previous most-followed account, Charli D'Amelio, on 22 June 2022.
TikTok has collaborated with AXS to offer users the ability to browse and purchase event tickets directly on the platform, with the feature currently active in the US, UK, Sweden, and Australia. Artists can promote their shows by including AXS event links in their TikTok videos. This partnership expands TikTok's ticketing capabilities, following previous collaborations with Ticketmaster in 2022 and 2023.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas private oil refiners could seek to buy more cargoes whose origin has been obscured as they prepare for fresh US sanctions on Iranian exports, ensuring crude continues to flow to the worlds top importer. Most Read from Bloomberg Taylor Swift Is Proof That How We Critique Music Is Broken Tech Giants Roar as Tesla Spikes in Late Hours: Markets Wrap Bidens New Chopper Is Demoted After Scorching White House Lawn Tesla Stock in No Mans Land After 43% Rout Ahead of Earnings Billionaire Pinaults Fight to Pull Gucci Off the Discount Rack The US House of Representatives passed tougher measures against Iran over the weekend in response to an attack on Israel, promising to broaden the scope of restrictions with a series of measures targeting the countrys exports that could become law as soon as this week. The Senate voted in favor on Tuesday night of sending the legislative package for President Joe Bidens sign-off. READ: Senate Sends Aid Package With Iran Oil Sanctions to Biden China has long been wary of being caught up in the US sanctions net and the latest steps extend to foreign ports, vessels, and refineries that knowingly engage in the Iranian oil trade. Still, Irans exports to China are not expected to fall away.
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